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Friday, May 6, 2016

The Donald's Amazing Spawn

Ivanka Trump.

All we hear these days is Trump, Trump, Trump, and that's even when we're not playing bridge. It's all about the Trumps, but they are all so, you know, perfect and all that each one sort of blends into this big mass of Trump-ness. Donald, Melania, Ivana, Ivanka, Don Jr., this one, that one, all across the stage.

Ivanka with her mother, Ivana.

However, the Trumps are individuals, believe it or not, and, in fact, pretty darn interesting ones regardless of your political leanings.

Ivanka is a lightning rod of public opinion. People love her or hate her, admire her or throw venomous slurs at her on airplanes. She is a role model for some young women, and a symbol of everything they hate for others. If you think about her at all, you probably have some opinion about her. Ivanka Trump is many things, but foremost she is a spirited lady.

Let's learn a little more about The Donald's daughter, Ivanka Trump.

Two Trumps a'trumpin'.

Ivanka Trump (October 30, 1981) is the daughter of Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana. Ivana's maiden name was Zelníčková, and she was and is from Czechoslovakia. From the Moravian town of Zlín, in fact. Great town, they make high-fashion shoes there. I actually know someone from Zlín... but that's neither here nor, um, there. Well, it is there, not here. Okay, I digress.

So, if Donald Trump and Ivana Zelníčková hadn't gotten married or Ivanka wanted to adopt her mama's name for professional reasons (hey, it happens sometimes), it would be Ivanka Zelníčková. But, it's not - it's Ivanka Trump.

Say my name... Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka was a model at one time, and a pretty good one, too. She's still a model, though that has been put on the back burner. Let's be real, homie, there isn't much challenge to becoming a top model when you are a pretty girl and your dad owns one of the top model agencies in New York City. Oh wait... do you think that is an attack on Ivanka Trump? It's not intended that way. It's just reality.

Of course Ivanka Trump is lovely, but there are lots of lovely ladies who don't have the opportunity to become models. I know, where am I going with this... there is a point.

The point is that Ivanka walked the, er, walk and didn't just talk the talk. She talked the talk and walked the walk. I don't know if she walked the talk and talked the walk, but she's a pretty amazing lady, so anything's possible.

It's a simple truth that Ivanka Trump was born on third base in a game where there are only three bases. Ivanka didn't have to lift a finger to do a single thing for her entire life. Lots of heirs and heiresses don't contribute anything to the world regardless of their innate talents because, frankly, they don't have to. One reason is that, if they try, someone will say something snarky to them when they are defenseless and minding their own business - for instance, on a commercial airplane flight. So the fact that Ivanka worked hard for many years and took the slings and arrows is a testament to her. It doesn't make her a saint or anything, but it demonstrates an admirable work ethic.

Ivanka Trump is a cover girl.

Ivanka Trump did.

Ivanka Trump also is a businesswoman.

Ivanka has the height to be a model, the looks to be a model, the presence to be a model, the figure to be a model, the smarts to be a model, the charm to be a model. She was born into it, and she was born with it, and you and I were not (well, I wasn't, I don't know about you, you never know who reads these things).... This is not the Land of Oz. Life is not fair (wait, is Oz fair?). Anyway, what else do you want from Ivanka Trump?

Ivanka Trump is a model because she is model material, whatever that means. Period.

Ivanka has had her share of covers, more than many top models in fact. Here is a sampling:

Of course, politics has elevated Ivanka's profile. That has plusses... and minuses... for anyone's image.

Ivanka Trump's first cover, Seventeen in 1997.

Thus, some of her more recent covers have been lovely images, but the editors can't stop themselves from injecting some political chum into the waters.

Marie Claire, July 2016 (Mexican and Latin American edition). The Spanish reads: "How long are you going to defend your father?" The answer seems to be at least for four more years, and perhaps eight depending on how things work out. Time will tell.

As a top political target now, there is no question with her high profile that many more covers await Ivanka. They're usually phenomenal shots regardless of the political explication or regurgitation inside. Ivanka just may not wish to read the contents of the magazines.

Ivanka has what could be termed a "perky" presence as a model. She was most active as a late teen Trump from 1998-2000, but also did some good work from 2006-2010.

More recently, she has focused on her business, with only occasional forays into modelling.

Naturally, as a hot girl, Ivanka made it onto the usual lads magazine lists. She place No. 83 on the 2007 Maxim Hot 100. Okay, that doesn't sound so impressive... but she beat the Second Life Girl at No. 95! She also came in at No. 99 on the 2007 AskMen.com list. And Ivanka has been on some other lists.

Just appearing anywhere on those types of rankings is a huge honor (You don't think so? These girls fight for the top spots!). Sometimes you get the sneaking suspicion that politics may play a teensy weensy role in where in the lists certain girls wind up. If you know what I mean.

Ivanka has appeared on her dad's television program (yes, her dad does provide a lot of opportunities for his daughters!). Ivanka was on "The Apprentice 5" for about a month, giving people agita as is customary on the show. That's a New York word, agita. Ivanka would know what it means.

The Donald also has dabbled in beauty pageants, so Ivanka got to host the Miss Teen USA pageant in 1997. That's not a bad gig when you're 16 years old. Ivanka also has been on a number of other television programs, such as Project Runway Season 3. Word has it that they pitched "The Bachelorette" to her, but she turned it down (wisely now, in my opinion, but it would have been good exposure then). At this point, it's too late, because she's happily married with children.

Among the things they don't like to publicize about Ivanka these days is that she isn't a Republican (or at least wasn't in early 2016). In New York City, realistically you have two party affiliation choices unless you want to be put in a corner and laughed at: Democrat, or Independent. (I've known some Republicans in NYC, and they usually don't like to talk about it too much - but they're swell people.) Word is that Ivanka chose the latter affiliation, Independent, and not the former (which would have been quite embarrassing down the road). Whew! goes big daddy.

However, it doesn't seem like a wishy washy choice. Ivanka really seems to be an independent thinker. It is not just a cop-out choice. She became the face of her daddy's 2016 Republican campaign for President against Hillary Clinton, and thus seems at times like a staunch Republican, but it wasn't always so: in 2008, she contributed to Hillary Clinton's campaign. Oops! But that's actually ok, because word has it that so did her daddy. Let's just say that Manhattan is a very strange place politically, and if you want to "play ball," you have to pitch to batters on both side of the plate. Plus, the Trumps and Clintons are social friends. Ivanka famously is friends with Chelsea Clinton, which has caused some issues in the media at times, but the friendship appears to be genuine.

Yes - Republicans and Democrats can be friends. There, I said it.

Among those strange political things that happen in life is that Ivanka is a good friend of Chelsea Clinton. Yes, that Chelsea Clinton. They actually don't live that far apart in Manhattan, with Chelsea down by Madison Square Park (where Madison Square Garden got its name, but it isn't located there now, but... well, it's a long story and I'll tell it to you some other time). Chelsea has nice things to say about Ivanka, which is always nice to remember in the heat of a campaign. There was some inside-baseball stuff that suggested that the two daughters sometimes played a "back channel" between the two political camps, and that sometimes didn't work out so well (as at the first Presidential debate). Who knows what the real story is. While the 2016 campaign surely strained the relationship at times, the families have been mending ties ever since, and President Trump publicly acknowledged Bill and Hillary Clinton at the 2017 inauguration celebrations, which was a classy touch. That must have mended some fences right there.

Another close friend of Ivanka's is Georgina Bloomberg. That name may not ring any bells, but Georgina's daddy is one Michael Bloomberg. As in, you know... Bloomberg. Bloomberg news and terminals and a whole lot of other things. And former Mayor of New York, of course. A man who has sharp political differences with her daddy. But, the kids apparently float way above such things. Yes, it's nice to be Ivanka Trump.

Ivanka is married to developer Jared Kushner and has been since October 25, 2009. It was, of course, a huge society wedding. They have two sons and a daughter. Word is that the marriage is extremely happy.

Another thing about Ivanka that many people may not know is that she converted to Judaism, at least in part because her husband Jared is Jewish. Her Rabbi was Elie Weinstock. She claims to be observant and not work etc. on Saturdays (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, but of course you already knew that). That became a little inconvenient during the 2016 Presidential campaign. However, she and her husband were given special rabbinical dispensation to travel by car on the Sabbath for security reasons during her father's 2017 inauguration weekend. So, they apparently are observant and play by the rules.

Ivanka is known to be a steadying influence on her father. She always has been one of his top advisers, and she makes sure that he always takes into account the concerns of young women and working women of all ages. Okay, let's be blunt: Ivanka makes The Donald pay attention to the concerns of women, period. Or, at least that supposedly is part of the dynamic between the two.

Ivanka addressing the RNC in July 2016.

Ivanka's speech to the July 2016 Republican Nation Convention introducing her father was a big hit. She vowed that she would never support her father if he stopped paying attention to the concerns of women. The $138 dress that she wore from her clothing line sold out immediately.

Ivanka at the 2017 inauguration, with husband Jared Kushner (AFP).

One of the highlights of Ivanka's life (so far), aside from her children and marriage, of course, has to have been the 20 January 2017 inauguration of her father as 45th President of the United States. Ivanka wore an Oscar de la Renta ensemble. Some fashionistas were highly critical of just about everything involved with the Trump inauguration, and that included Ivanka's look. Some claimed was a bit behind the times (full length skort, I think some called it). Perhaps it depends just how picky you are about wearing the latest rags. How can you go wrong with Oscar de la Renta, anyway? Apologies to anyone whose eyes are seared by seeing someone wearing last fall's fashions. I think Ivanka looks nice, but of course everyone has their own opinion....

The future is limitless for Ivanka Trump. She reportedly took a leave of absence from her businesses for the duration of her father's time in office so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest. She is sure to prove a continuing asset. Good luck, Ivanka!

Love what you do. There's always going to be someone else who's smarter than you, but there's no substitute for passion. People who are passionate always work the hardest, and that sets them apart!

I make money because I have to pay for everything apart from my [Choate] school fees. My mother even makes me pay my own telephone bill.

Ivana earned a spot on Time magazine's "The 100 Most Influential People" list in May 2017.

Ivanka is of Czech/German/Scottish descent.

Ivanka has a jewelry line, the Ivanka Trump Collection, begun in 2007.